'Witness' evokes horrors as part of Kristallnacht commemorations

Creative Sanford this weekend presented the first staged reading of "Witness" in this year's commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, a night of terror against Jews in Nazi Germany.

The 1938 horror-filled event of Kristallnacht is being remembered around Central Florida in a series of events presented in part by the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida and the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

Central Floridians Susan Mitchell and Jack Lowe wrote "Witness," which uses real people's words and stories to convey the shock and horror that followed the violence of what became known as Kristallnacht. On Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, Nazis coordinated a series of attacks on Jewish businesses, synagogues and individuals. Most Germans did nothing as their neighbors' lives were destroyed.

Hearing the words of the victims — as well as a member of the Nazi youth and a German firefighter afraid to speak against the government — is unquestionably moving.

For Creative Sanford's production, presented at Sanford's Princess Theater, Central Florida actors such as Larry Stallings and Karen "Kagey" Good shared the stage with less-experienced colleagues, such as art gallery director Jeanine Taylor, in her first role. The mix of faces made the show, produced by Marylin Maples, feel like a community event.

Shelley Ackman's evocative directing added to the disquieting atmosphere. The actors told their stories from simple podiums in single spotlights. As they left the stage, walking out of the light into the darkness, I couldn't help wondering what happened to their characters — these real people who walked out of history. The program provides some answers, but many of their fates are unknown.

I was inspired by the question-and-answer session after the show, with local educators, including college history professors. The audience discussed such critical topics as teaching children about the value of standing up for what is right, and how nations should react to current human-rights violations around the world.

"Witness" is scheduled to be performed by other community groups this fall; readers, I'll keep you updated as new productions are announced.

And it should be mentioned that Creative Sanford knows something about presenting historical stories as community theater: That's the group behind the series of "Celery Soup" folklife plays at the Princess Theater. A new installment in that series, "Remade — Not Bought," based on stories from Sanford and Seminole County, will open Oct. 18. Nicholas Murphy of Cornerstone Theatre Company, will direct.